Ambulance staff and gritters at full stretch

HEALTH bosses are asking people with minor ailments to seek advice from walk-in centres or pharmacists as the region feels the cold snap.

Last Sunday East Midlands Ambulance Service received more than 1,000 life threatening 999 calls, and sent out 3,400 ambulances to those, and less serious cases over Saturday and Sunday. The high 999 call rate was despite Northants County Council’s efforts in keeping the roads and many footpaths clear of snow.

The Snow Desk, NCC’s gritting control hub which is manned 24 hours a day, sent gritters out at 1pm on Saturday, two hours before the first flakes hit the county and went on to cover priority roads in the network five times within 12 hours.